Advanced search

Advanced search is divided into two main parts, and one or more groups in each of the main parts. The main parts are the "Search for" (including) and the "Remove from search" (excluding) part. (The excluding part might not be visible until you hit "NOT" for the first time.) You can add new groups to both the including and the excluding part by using the buttons "OR" or "NOT" respectively, and you can add more search options to all groups through the drop down menu on the last row (in each group).

For a result to be included in the search result, is it required to fit all added including parameters (in at least one group) and not fit all parameters in one of the excluding groups. This system with the two main parts and their groups makes it possible to combine two (or more) distinct searches into one search result, while being flexible in removing results from the final list.

The paper deals with the Erasmus+ project NAVIGATE - Information Literacy: A Game-based Learning Approach for Avoiding Fake Content, coordinated by the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies in Bulgaria. The focus of the project is on Bachelor’s students in Humanities who either do not have the skills to distinguish fake content or do not have the desire, due to lack of time and interest, to conduct more in-depth information search. By applying a game-based approach to information literacy training in three European countries innovation can be brought into this field. The results of an empirical sociological survey conducted in the partners’ institutions in Bulgaria, Italy and Sweden on students’ understanding of the concepts of information and mobile literacy and the criteria used by the learners for the assessment of information are presented. Emphasis is also placed on the role of the library as a partner in the learning.

Given the accelerating growth in the international student market, Chinese international students are increasingly becoming an important feature of higher education in many countries worldwide. The number of students attending Swedish universities although small compared to more traditional country destinations has, up to recent times, continued to increase. For Swedish universities not so accustomed to teaching and supporting the Chinese students, the challenge is considerable.

This study explores the learning experiences of Chinese undergraduate students during their first year at the University of Gävle (Sweden). All of the students were young (most 17 to 19) and came from areas of China with strong Confucian heritage cultures. The study draws on previous research and a questionnaire to examine the students’ success in the classroom, how their attitudes to learning evolved, and how they adapted to Swedish culture. The study also discusses students’ opinions as to the academic and support services that have been or could be provided. The questionnaire developed for the study includes ideas and contributions from a United Kingdom university. An Interview Guide was also prepared to facilitate the study and to frame possible follow-up questions to participants.

The study reveals that the students experienced a wide variety of difficulties. Lack of English language proficiency, communication difficulties, periods of isolation and loneliness together with a lack of social activities all featured significantly. Other areas highlighted included difficulties with academic writing, poor study skills awareness, and difficulties with making friends. On a more positive note, the students showed interest in and an ability to adjust, adapt and gain from a totally different style of teaching and learning. In terms of the implications for the University, these findings suggest that attention should be given in finding ways to improve the overall quality of student learning, teaching and support provided not only for Chinese students but for all international students. In this light, a series of recommendations are presented.

Recommendations of note are to undertake a longitudinal study and offer an international foundation year programme with English language support services.

The rapid technological development and the growth of online learning, present new challenges for higher education teachers and institutions. Web 2.0 tools create new opportunities for teachers and students to communicate, collaborate and contribute by different modalities. The need for teachers to harness this potential in order to be able to respond to the changing needs and expectations of their students make in-service training of higher education online teachers a priority. What is often overlooked in in-service initiatives however, is that teachers have varying degrees of technological competence and pedagogical competence. They also teach different kinds of content to students with different pre-existing knowledge, etc.

This poster presents the implementation and outcomes of two simultaneous in-service training initiatives at the University of Gävle, Sweden. The initiatives were aimed at developing online teachers’ ability to successfully integrate ICT in their teaching. When planning this initiative we deliberately wanted to avoid techno centrism and a narrow focus on standards or competencies. Instead we were inspired by Mishra & Koehler’s theoretical framework TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) which recognises that developing the ability to successfully integrate ICT as a tool for learning means understanding the reciprocal relationship between technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge (Mishra & Koehler 1986; 1987). Mishra & Koehler has built on Shulman’s (1986) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to create a conceptual framework that also includes technological knowledge and the ability to successfully integrate this with their pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge. In other words, a teacher that possesses TPACK knows how to successfully integrate ICT in their practice to create an added pedagogical value.